


So You Think You Can Tell?

by Thegracefulnerd



Category: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black
Genre: Other, Sisterly Love, jude is sad, vivi and jude bonding time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 00:58:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18458201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thegracefulnerd/pseuds/Thegracefulnerd
Summary: (TWK Spoilers)Vivi could count on one hand the amount of times she had seen Jude cry. In fact, she could count on half a hand because she had only ever seen her sister cry twice in her entire life. The first time was when they were very small and Jude had fallen out of a tree while climbing, and the second time had been a month ago when she showed up on Vivi’s doorstep with red swollen eyes explaining that she had been exiled from Elfhame.





	So You Think You Can Tell?

Vivi could count on one hand the amount of times she had seen Jude cry. In fact, she could count on half a hand because she had only ever seen her sister cry twice in her entire life. The first time was when they were very small and Jude had fallen out of a tree while climbing, and the second time had been a month ago when she showed up on Vivi’s doorstep with red swollen eyes explaining that she had been exiled from Elfhame. 

It was still jarring to remember how defeated Jude had looked. Jude, who seemed like an eternal flame, something that would never die nor diminish, someone who was more determined and stubborn than anyone else on the face of this Earth, had looked completely and utterly defeated. Vivi tried to talk to her about it, she tried to find a way to comfort her but Jude wouldn’t have it. She insisted on carrying on like nothing had ever even happened. Eventually Vivi gave up and decided that Jude was Jude and that there was very little she could do or say to influence her sister’s actions. So she carried on and made her fish sticks and let her watch Netflix on the couch all day until it was time for her to go pick up Oak from school. 

Vivi couldn’t really understand why Jude was so… devastated. She knew that Elfhame had been the only home she’d really ever known, but at the end of the day Jude was mortal. She was from this world with fish sticks and Target and anime. Shouldn’t she be glad that she doesn’t have to live her life looking over her shoulder anymore? Isn’t she happier living without the fear of being killed or stabbed in the back (literally and figuratively)? Or at the very least shouldn’t she be happy that she didn’t have to see her parents’ murderer every day? These questions had plagued Vivi every day since Jude showed up on her doorstep. Her phone buzzed, breaking her train of thought. She hoped it was Heather, please please let it be Heather. 

_Will you get Oak today?_

It was Jude. Vivi sighed, Jude hadn’t left her room all day. She’d just assumed she was asleep but if she was giving up going to get Oak maybe she’d gotten sick or something. 

_Yeah of course. U good?_

Her reply was instant.

_I’m fine_

Vivi rolled her eyes. If she had to hear Jude say that she was ‘fine’ one more time she was going to smack her upside the head. She was so very clearly not fine. Well if she was sick, Vivi at least wanted to make sure she didn’t have a fever. She went up the stairs of and let herself into Jude’s room without knocking. "Are you getting sick? You don't have a fever do you?" Vivi asked upon entering, she stopped dead however when she finally saw her sister's face. 

Jude was not sick.  
She was crying. 

“What’s going on?” Vivi asked, wondering what in god’s name could’ve happened to make her sister breakdown like this. 

Jude shook her head furiously and wiped at her face. “Nothing. Go away Viv.” 

“No ok. Enough is enough. I’m tired of your bullshit excuses and sulking. Why are you so upset over this? I get it, it was your home but aren’t you happy to not be in danger every day? I figured you’d be doing cartwheels to get away from-” Vivi stopped mid-sentence, it hit her like a blow to the stomach. She knew why Jude was devastated. She knew why she watched Netflix all day and only left to go get Oak. 

Her heart was broken. 

Vivi slowly sat down beside her sister and pushed the stray hairs away from her face. “Oh, Jude.” Jude tried to scowl at Vivi but she started crying again. Vivi wrapped her arms around her sister and pulled her into a tight embrace. She was sobbing now, and gripping Vivi’s shirt like it was a lifeline. 

“You love him.” Vivi said quietly. She was mentally kicking herself for not picking up on it sooner. Sure she knew that Jude was the seneschal, and she’d heard the rumors even in the mortal world that the High King had a consort, but if anything she thought that they were just hooking up. It was just too strange to think about. For as long as she could remember Jude had hated Cardan with everything in her. She could remember hearing her rant to Taryn about it almost daily. Jude didn’t answer Vivi, but Vivi knew that she was right. 

This was not about Jude losing her position as seneschal or being kicked out of her home or even about being forced away from the only ‘family’ she had besides herself and Oak. This was about the fact that Jude had actually developed feelings for someone, and then in turn he broke her heart and kicked her out of her home. 

“I’m so fucking stupid.” Jude whispered. 

Vivi tightened her hold on her younger sister and shook her head, “No, you’re not. You’re not Jude.” Jude had stopped crying but she still looked incredibly tired. “Get some rest. We'll talk about this tonight, ok? I love you Jude, I do.” 

Jude nodded, too tired to protest, and laid back down in her bed. Vivi bent down to kiss her on the forehead before turning out the lights and leaving. As she walked down the stairs to get her coat and keys so that she could go get Oak, Vivi decided that if Jude didn’t beat her to it, she was probably going to kill the High King of Elfhame.

**Author's Note:**

> The title is taken from "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd which, in the original draft, Jude was going to be listening to when Vivi walked into her room.


End file.
